Patrick Scalisi's Blog - Posts Tagged "the-ghost-is-the-machine"
News: March 2012
Reflecting on the past few years since I started writing professionally (or at least trying to write professionally), I have had some wonderful experiences and met some great people. Among them are the wonderful folks at Post Mortem Press, whom I've mentioned on this website more than once. In addition to publishing one of my stories in not one, but two, of their anthologies, I have also had a chance to interact with many of my fellow PMP contributors online.
Now, this wonderful independent publishing outfit has deigned to offer me another extraordinary opportunity. Beginning this month, I will serve as the guest editor of a forthcoming anthology to be published by PMP. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared out of my pants at the journey I'm about to undertake, but I'm also looking forward to the challenge. I'll post more information about the anthology — including submission guidelines — as it becomes available.
On Feb. 17, I was also asked to give a talk on writing and publishing to the creative writing students at Stratford High School in Stratford, Conn. (Stratford, I may point out, was briefly the home of Stephen King.) Since it took me until the age of 25 to decide that I wanted to write professionally, I was shocked at the sheer talent and determination of this group, which ranged from freshmen to seniors. A big shout out to them for graciously hosting me and for being such a great and interactive audience.
Finally, I'm thinking about redesigning PatrickScalisi.com. ::Tones of disaster:: The problem with having a website, of course, is that you get comfortable, and like an attic or a basement, you just keep amassing stuff. If you want a change, you have the unhappy task of moving all that stuff that took you so long to accumulate. Anyway, I don't know if it will happen before April, but look for some major revisions in the near future.
Now, this wonderful independent publishing outfit has deigned to offer me another extraordinary opportunity. Beginning this month, I will serve as the guest editor of a forthcoming anthology to be published by PMP. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared out of my pants at the journey I'm about to undertake, but I'm also looking forward to the challenge. I'll post more information about the anthology — including submission guidelines — as it becomes available.
On Feb. 17, I was also asked to give a talk on writing and publishing to the creative writing students at Stratford High School in Stratford, Conn. (Stratford, I may point out, was briefly the home of Stephen King.) Since it took me until the age of 25 to decide that I wanted to write professionally, I was shocked at the sheer talent and determination of this group, which ranged from freshmen to seniors. A big shout out to them for graciously hosting me and for being such a great and interactive audience.
Finally, I'm thinking about redesigning PatrickScalisi.com. ::Tones of disaster:: The problem with having a website, of course, is that you get comfortable, and like an attic or a basement, you just keep amassing stuff. If you want a change, you have the unhappy task of moving all that stuff that took you so long to accumulate. Anyway, I don't know if it will happen before April, but look for some major revisions in the near future.
Submissions Open!
Just a brief note to let everyone know that submissions are now open for the anthology that I am guest editing for Post Mortem Press. Submission guidelines for The Ghost Is the Machine can be found HERE. Submissions will be open until May 31.
News: April 2012
With the exception of one ongoing glitch (the newsletter sign-up isn't working), my newly redesigned website PatrickScalisi.com is up and running. I've been working diligently over the past month to migrate all of my content over to this new site. Everything is as it was in what I hope is a cleaner, sleeker package. The contents buttons have been moved from the left side of the page to the top. I've also made some important additions: There is now a "Portfolio" page, as well as individual pages for each of the anthologies in which my work appears. Feel free to poke around (and let me know if you find any embarrassing errors).
Now onto the news: One year and 29 rejections later, my short story "Infected" has been selected to appear in the debut issue of Nine: A Journal of Speculative Fiction. Watch this blog and my Facebook fan page for updates on the actual publication date.
Finally, submissions have been rolling in for the anthology that I am guest editing for Post Mortem Press. Submission guidelines for the book, titled The Ghost Is the Machine, can be found HERE. Until next month, thanks for reading.
Now onto the news: One year and 29 rejections later, my short story "Infected" has been selected to appear in the debut issue of Nine: A Journal of Speculative Fiction. Watch this blog and my Facebook fan page for updates on the actual publication date.
Finally, submissions have been rolling in for the anthology that I am guest editing for Post Mortem Press. Submission guidelines for the book, titled The Ghost Is the Machine, can be found HERE. Until next month, thanks for reading.
News: May 2012
Happy May everyone! It seems that April showers this year were a bit delayed, as the first few days of May have seen nothing but overcast skies. Spring can't decide whether it wants to come or go, and after freak 80-degree temperatures in March, Connecticut has settled back to the seasonal (and rainy) 50s.
The weather, though, isn't the only reason to stay inside and read. The end of April saw the release (finally!) of my short story "Infected" in the debut issue of Nine: A Journal of Speculative Fiction. The publication of this story was particularly gratifying for me because "Infected" was rejected a record number of times over the past year. You can buy a digital copy of the magazine's first issue HERE. My thanks to the editors of Nine for believing in my story.
Submissions continue to roll in for The Ghost Is the Machine, the anthology of fiction that I'm guest editing for Post Mortem Press. If you've visited my blog to learn more about me or the book, you can find the submission guidelines HERE. As for what I'm looking for -- I want well-written and unique stories that buck convention or at least surprise me. I've gotten lots of great work so far, but I'm particularly interested in getting more tales in the traditional steampunk vein. Submissions are only open until May 31, so get writing, and I look forward to reading your work soon!
The weather, though, isn't the only reason to stay inside and read. The end of April saw the release (finally!) of my short story "Infected" in the debut issue of Nine: A Journal of Speculative Fiction. The publication of this story was particularly gratifying for me because "Infected" was rejected a record number of times over the past year. You can buy a digital copy of the magazine's first issue HERE. My thanks to the editors of Nine for believing in my story.
Submissions continue to roll in for The Ghost Is the Machine, the anthology of fiction that I'm guest editing for Post Mortem Press. If you've visited my blog to learn more about me or the book, you can find the submission guidelines HERE. As for what I'm looking for -- I want well-written and unique stories that buck convention or at least surprise me. I've gotten lots of great work so far, but I'm particularly interested in getting more tales in the traditional steampunk vein. Submissions are only open until May 31, so get writing, and I look forward to reading your work soon!
News: July 2012
My goodness, I can't believe a whole month went by without me being able to update the site. Suffice to say that June was one hell of a ride.
Submissions for The Ghost Is the Machine, the anthology of fiction that I'm guest editing for Post Mortem Press, became a flood in the last 48 hours of the submission window back in May -- several dozen stories arrived in two days. After a month of reading, editing and fielding rewrites, I am pleased to announce that the anthology has been sent to the publisher for final review! Sixteen great stories were selected for the final book. Congratulations to all the writers involved. I'll be posting updates here and on my Facebook fan page about the book's publication as the details become available!
Toward the end of May, I also received some welcome news regarding one of my short stories, a sci-fi tale called "Salvage." Open Heart Publishing has selected "Salvage" to appear in An Honest Lie Vol. 4: Petulant Parables. I previously worked with the folks at Open Heart in 2010, when they published my short story "The Registry of Lost Socks" in the second volume of their annual anthology. Suffice to say that I am exuberant to be working with them again.
Last month, I also attended a media convention for work in Indianapolis. At the convention's annual awards banquet, I received an honorable mention for a photo essay titled "Charity in Motion" that I did with Randy Hale about a wheelchair distribution for the needy in Vietnam, Cuba and the Philippines (Randy took the photos; I wrote the words). I also received a second place award from the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists for my Naugatuck Patch article about the borough's cultural heritage night.
Finally, my short story "Infected" is currently running in the debut issue of Nine: A Journal of Speculative Fiction. You can buy a digital copy of the magazine's first issue HERE.
Submissions for The Ghost Is the Machine, the anthology of fiction that I'm guest editing for Post Mortem Press, became a flood in the last 48 hours of the submission window back in May -- several dozen stories arrived in two days. After a month of reading, editing and fielding rewrites, I am pleased to announce that the anthology has been sent to the publisher for final review! Sixteen great stories were selected for the final book. Congratulations to all the writers involved. I'll be posting updates here and on my Facebook fan page about the book's publication as the details become available!
Toward the end of May, I also received some welcome news regarding one of my short stories, a sci-fi tale called "Salvage." Open Heart Publishing has selected "Salvage" to appear in An Honest Lie Vol. 4: Petulant Parables. I previously worked with the folks at Open Heart in 2010, when they published my short story "The Registry of Lost Socks" in the second volume of their annual anthology. Suffice to say that I am exuberant to be working with them again.
Last month, I also attended a media convention for work in Indianapolis. At the convention's annual awards banquet, I received an honorable mention for a photo essay titled "Charity in Motion" that I did with Randy Hale about a wheelchair distribution for the needy in Vietnam, Cuba and the Philippines (Randy took the photos; I wrote the words). I also received a second place award from the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists for my Naugatuck Patch article about the borough's cultural heritage night.
Finally, my short story "Infected" is currently running in the debut issue of Nine: A Journal of Speculative Fiction. You can buy a digital copy of the magazine's first issue HERE.
News: August 2012
The text is off to the publisher. The contracts are signed. The layout's been done. And the contributor copies are en route. The Ghost Is the Machine arrives Aug. 14.
Click HERE to view the cover art!
Readers can pre-order the book for $14 -- that's $2 off the cover price with immediate shipping -- until Aug. 12. Visit the pre-order page and note the promo code. Congratulations again to all the writers involved. I'll be posting updates here and on my Facebook fan page about the book's release as the days tick off to the 14th.
In other news, I recently conducted an interview with Open Heart Publishing in advance of the release of my short story "Salvage," which will appear in their yearly anthology, An Honest Lie Vol. 4: Petulant Parables. I previously worked with the folks at Open Heart in 2010, when they published my short story "The Registry of Lost Socks" in the second volume of their annual anthology. More information about the publication of this book will be posted here as it becomes available.
Click HERE to view the cover art!
Readers can pre-order the book for $14 -- that's $2 off the cover price with immediate shipping -- until Aug. 12. Visit the pre-order page and note the promo code. Congratulations again to all the writers involved. I'll be posting updates here and on my Facebook fan page about the book's release as the days tick off to the 14th.
In other news, I recently conducted an interview with Open Heart Publishing in advance of the release of my short story "Salvage," which will appear in their yearly anthology, An Honest Lie Vol. 4: Petulant Parables. I previously worked with the folks at Open Heart in 2010, when they published my short story "The Registry of Lost Socks" in the second volume of their annual anthology. More information about the publication of this book will be posted here as it becomes available.
The Ghost Is the Machine Now Available!
Just a quick note to let everyone know that The Ghost Is the Machine is now available from Create Space and Amazon. Order your copy today for $16 plus shipping!
News: September 2012
September is very much my favorite time of year -- it marks the beginning of autumn. The weather is typically not as warm as July or August, and the trees may even begin to change by the end of the month. Death in nature is glorious, especially in the Northeast; we can all only hope to go out so brilliantly.
September also brings a new contest to my Facebook fan page. If I have 150 fans by the end of the month, I will give away a first-edition hardcover copy of Mostly Harmless, the fifth book in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams. So visit the page and "Like" away, and be sure to tell you friends as well.
The Ghost Is the Machine, the anthology I edited for Post Mortem Press, has been on the shelves for only a few weeks, but readers -- the most important folks of all -- are already praising the book.
On Amazon, user greatmommy says, "This compilation of stories is great!" while user Sharon S. Church raves, "This collection is so much fun! Steampunk meets the classic ghost story, they fall in love, and produce fantastic stories!" Over at GoodReads, user Suzanne Hartwick gave the book four stars and said, "A fun read, I'd recommend."
I swear I haven't paid or bribed any of these users!
Now it's time for you to experience the horror-steampunk anthology that has received all four- and five-star ratings on Amazon and GoodReads. The Ghost Is the Machine is available in paperback for $16.00 or on the Kindle for $4.99. Click HERE to pick up your copy today! And be sure to leave a review once you've read the book. Good, bad or indifferent -- we want to hear it all because constructive criticism is the only way that we become better storytellers.
In other news this month, I'm working on a new short story for an anthology that I was personally invited to participate in. There's no guarantee that my story will be selected, but I'm nonetheless excited about the project, especially since this is the first new story that I've had the chance to work on since The Ghost Is the Machine went to press.
September also brings a new contest to my Facebook fan page. If I have 150 fans by the end of the month, I will give away a first-edition hardcover copy of Mostly Harmless, the fifth book in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams. So visit the page and "Like" away, and be sure to tell you friends as well.
The Ghost Is the Machine, the anthology I edited for Post Mortem Press, has been on the shelves for only a few weeks, but readers -- the most important folks of all -- are already praising the book.
On Amazon, user greatmommy says, "This compilation of stories is great!" while user Sharon S. Church raves, "This collection is so much fun! Steampunk meets the classic ghost story, they fall in love, and produce fantastic stories!" Over at GoodReads, user Suzanne Hartwick gave the book four stars and said, "A fun read, I'd recommend."
I swear I haven't paid or bribed any of these users!
Now it's time for you to experience the horror-steampunk anthology that has received all four- and five-star ratings on Amazon and GoodReads. The Ghost Is the Machine is available in paperback for $16.00 or on the Kindle for $4.99. Click HERE to pick up your copy today! And be sure to leave a review once you've read the book. Good, bad or indifferent -- we want to hear it all because constructive criticism is the only way that we become better storytellers.
In other news this month, I'm working on a new short story for an anthology that I was personally invited to participate in. There's no guarantee that my story will be selected, but I'm nonetheless excited about the project, especially since this is the first new story that I've had the chance to work on since The Ghost Is the Machine went to press.
News: October 2012
Last month, I had the good fortune to attend the Baltimore Book Festival with the good folks from Post Mortem Press. I would venture to say that like most writers, I very much attending writing / publishing / author events. Not only was Baltimore a great way to meet some of my fellow PMP authors -- like the inestimable Paul Anderson, Kenneth W. Cain and Jessica McHugh -- but I also left feeling very energized and ready to write.
The past several weeks have been more productive for me than the last few months combined. I'm resuming my regular writing schedule again and getting some productive work done. I'm currently composing a short story for consideration in a new anthology. After that, I'll continue editing the latest draft of my first real novel, which I haven't had a chance to work on since March.
In other news, the release of my latest short story, "Salvage," should be imminent. Salvage will appear in volume four of the Honest Lie anthology series put out by Open Heart Publishing. OHP previously published my short story "The Registry of Lost Socks" in An Honest Lie Vol. 2.
Finally, my good friend, Katie Carroll, whom I’ve known since college, has seen the release of her first book, Elixir Bound. If you like YA fantasy, you owe it to yourself to check out Katie’s book.
The past several weeks have been more productive for me than the last few months combined. I'm resuming my regular writing schedule again and getting some productive work done. I'm currently composing a short story for consideration in a new anthology. After that, I'll continue editing the latest draft of my first real novel, which I haven't had a chance to work on since March.
In other news, the release of my latest short story, "Salvage," should be imminent. Salvage will appear in volume four of the Honest Lie anthology series put out by Open Heart Publishing. OHP previously published my short story "The Registry of Lost Socks" in An Honest Lie Vol. 2.
Finally, my good friend, Katie Carroll, whom I’ve known since college, has seen the release of her first book, Elixir Bound. If you like YA fantasy, you owe it to yourself to check out Katie’s book.
News: November 2012
A slow news month as we head into the start of the holiday season. A lot of items are pending, which makes me feel like my writing life is in a bit of a holding pattern: several professional outlets have expressed interest in reviewing The Ghost Is the Machine, but none of the reviews have been published yet; a couple of short story submissions are pending; editing is ongoing for my novel, The Lamplighters,; and the release of my latest short story, "Salvage," should be imminent.
"Salvage" will appear in volume four of the Honest Lie anthology series put out by Open Heart Publishing. OHP previously published my short story "The Registry of Lost Socks" in An Honest Lie Vol. 2. It's one of my favorite stories, so check it out if you haven't already.
I'll also be attending Anthocon with the good folks from Post Mortem Press on Nov. 9. If you're in the New Hampshire area, be sure to stop by and say hello.
Until next month, thanks for reading (and if you live in the United States, don't forget to vote on Election Day, Nov. 6).
"Salvage" will appear in volume four of the Honest Lie anthology series put out by Open Heart Publishing. OHP previously published my short story "The Registry of Lost Socks" in An Honest Lie Vol. 2. It's one of my favorite stories, so check it out if you haven't already.
I'll also be attending Anthocon with the good folks from Post Mortem Press on Nov. 9. If you're in the New Hampshire area, be sure to stop by and say hello.
Until next month, thanks for reading (and if you live in the United States, don't forget to vote on Election Day, Nov. 6).
